Binder



Feb. 5, .1952

C. E. EMM ER BINDERy Filed Dec. 1945 III Y Il'.

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'.Illllll... lllnlnuv. lullin... n Y/ 01' 'n 12|" I Z/ n' l 'z j r 5,/ e /V/x U72@ /a z a ,25" 727175.77 [UP ZEP/e5 wa/Ward Emmer' Patented Feb. 5, 1952 4 BINDER Charles Edward Emmer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to General Binding Cor corporation of Illinois poration, Chicago, Ill., a

Application December 19, 1945, Serial No. 635,963

. 1 Claim. (Cl. 281-16 The present invention relates toa loose-leaf binder, and more particularly to one in which the Y ring-like members are made of thermoplastic or other flexible material, which rings are integral with a backbone, the rings being formed to closed position to maintain the same closed in substantially permanent relation, and is directed to a construction of a thick binder for holding many sheets, cards or the like.

There are thick loose-leaf binders in use at the present time. 'I'hese utilize a single tier of rings or the like, but present disadvantages in that, when open, the marginsof the sheets, cards or the like along the openings pile up or stick up, making them unhandy for use.

The present invention overcomes this disadvantage by providing means forming a plurality of tiers of rings, laterally spaced with respect to the binder back, in order to arrange the sheets, cards or the like in groups, every group having a thickness which is considerably less than the thickest capacity of the binder.

The present invention does not reduce the capacity of a binder of given thickness but mounts the sheets, cards or the like in groups so that a desired sheet, card or the like maybe more readily found, also, when the binder is open, the back of the binder is nat and the sheets, cards orthe like of the several groups are presented in atter manner than in a single tier binder, thus making it handler to nd the sheets, cards or the like in question.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure l is a plan view of a binder equipped with the present invention, showing fragmental portions of the covers in open position, and illustratlng three tiers of ring-like members secured to the back.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the plane of line II-II of Figure 1, and showing D type rings.

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view showing split rings.

Figure 4 is a fragmental plan view of the binder equipped with another form of rings.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken in the plane of line V-V of Figure 4.

The invention in the drawings will now be explained.

Referring to Figure l, I0 designates the back of a. loose-leaf binder. and II and I2 designate portions of the covers.

There are illustrated three tiers, A, B and C, .of

thermoplastic ring members, the rings being known as D rings.

Every tier includes a backbone I3 having a plurality of ngers I4 extending from one side portion of the backbone, which are bent into substantially ring-shape after the sheets, cards, or the like, I5, have been applied to the fingers. A binding such as just described maintains the sheets, cards or the like, in substantially permanent binding relation.

Figure 3 illustrates a back I3 having three tiers D, E and F of plastic binding fingers. In this form every tier includes a backbone I6 having fingers Il' and I 8 projecting from the side margins of the backbone which iingers are bent into substantially ring-shape, as shown, after a plurality of sheets or cards I9 `have been applied to the rings.

It will thus be noted that within the width of the back I0 a plurality of tiers of rings have been secured, to receive groups of sheets, cards or the like, in which the total thickness of the sheets or cards in the several groups is substantially less than the thickness of the binder.

By mounting the sheets or cards ingroups on a binder back, it is possible to provide a thick binder with the sheets or` cards thereon more easily available, as it is necessary to turn to the group in which a particular sheet or paper would be, and f then thumb through the sheets or cards of that particular group, without having to thumb through many more sheets, as would be the case with a binder made with but a single tier of rings.

Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible that when a binder is open the groups will lie substantially atwise, without the margins of the sheets or cards along the rings sticking up or piling up in a manner to be unhandy. The present invention makes it easier to mount the sheets or cards in a binder as sheets or cards of one group may be applied to its rings and then the rings closed, the second group of sheets or cards may then be applied to the second tier of rings and the rings closed, and a third' group of sheets or cards applied to the third group of rings, and so on, depending on the number of tiers of rings there are attached to the binder back.

It will be noted that Figures 1, 2 and 3 show three tiers of rings attached to a binder back. It is to be understood that the invention contemplates the use of two or more such ring tiers as the width of the binder may suggest and the number of sheets or cards per group as may be deemed expedient.

The backbones of the several tiers of rings,

heretofore mentioned, are preferably secured to the backs I of the binders by suitable adhesive material designated at 20, the character of which is well understood in the art.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a back l0 is equipped with a plurality of tiers of rings formed from a sheet of suitable material having a central flbackbone 2| and withfa plurality vof lingers oneach side of the margins of the backbone maintained in parallelism, and designated at 22 and 23, the fingers 22 being on the lefthand side of the backbone as illustrated, with the ngers 23 on the right-hand side.

These ingers are crimpeditogprovide a.,plu rality of ring-like portions .24, 25,126 .andz2'l in the fingers. The figures show the ring-like portions 24 and 25 as formeddn the -ngers22 while the portions 26 and 21 are formed in the finger portions 23. The backbone 2| is: suitably fastened to the backs l0 by adhesive 28, in permanent relation -Sheets or cards V,are `then slipped over the free ends 30 and-3| ofthe fingers 22andA 23 and onto Athe ring-like yportions 25 and 24.,of iingers't22,and ring-like portions 2": and 26 of fingers 123. When lthezmaxiinum number,:;of.sheets `or cards or -the likehave-been applied tothe ring-like portiensini the manner described, the free;ends3.,and3l of thefiingers 22.and..23,Lrespectively, are then stuck 'to the back by means of a suitablerpressure sensitive adhesiveorzother suitable adhesives.

`The portionsiof theseveral fingers between the inneixand outergring-like'` portions, designated atL32;;.and.-33,fmay be stuckto. the back in like manner.

It .will thusy be, observedthat. utilizing the arrangementeof; Figures f 4 kand ,5, fourY groups of sheets or cards may be attached to a back.

It Iwill be.-observed. that the present invention makes it.possible .tarrange sheets and cards in a looser-leaf binder: in vgfroupstherebfy. providing: a thick binderlwiththe maximum number of sheets. and cardsy arrangedso that ,Whenit is desired to indAanyloparticularf:sheetA or. card, theoobserverrnayA select` the group. in l,which such sheet or cardsshould. ,appear and then thumb through 1 that vparticular :group until @he iinds .what-he wants. o

proximately one-quarter of the thickness capacity of the binder.

for lessfprecisely as to v, f understooa thai-.the invention is not to be iiifnted irangementjmd,proportion of parts, and equiv- -The invention has been describedkherein more details, yet`tto be itherebyf-as: changes may be made in the aralents may "be substituted, without departing fromzfthev spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows: A.loo seleaf binder comprising aback having hinged covers, meansA providing ,a plurality .of tiers of ring-like memberson `said back, said means including a member having al backbone portion complementarily shaped to saidbinder back anda, plurality 0f fingers Vextenlirigvin parallel relation outwardly; from; each sidegof` said backbone,ssaid-ibackbone being attaglwdtdsaid binder back, each of SadQgershayng, a,;p1\ 1 rality of crimped .-inverted.U,-,Shapd portions providing; ring-like loops in assoiationlivithgsaid back, each,y of said ring-,likegloopshavng Sheet,- receiving portions capable lof receiving a Aplurality osheets.

CHARLESV i REFERENGES l, CITED The following -references areof' recordlin the iile of this patent:

,UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,037,292 Morden a Sept. 3,3191?. 1,685,448 Butterworth Sept. 25,y 1928 2,124,278 Trussell July 19,y 1938 2,176,314 Russell Oct. 17, I1939 "2,233,898 Q'Pitt` et .al. VMar. 4,1941 12,249,652 kHarris July;15,"1941 

